Absence of chiral domains in mixtures of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine molecules of opposite chirality

We present calorimetric data for liposome mixtures of l-dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine with perdeuterated hydrocarbon chains (l-DPPC-[formula presented]) and d-DPPC at varying molar concentrations and excess water (⩾30% by wt.) conditions. The data are consistent with a binary system whose components exhibit complete mutual solid solubility. Therefore, the asymmetric ripples observed in racemic dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine bilayers in the [formula presented] phase [Katsaras and Raghunathan, Phys. Rev. Lett. 74, 2022 (1995)] are not the result of pure enantiomer domains.